Katzendiebe

Fredi Rüegg's job is to bring runaway cats (some of which he stole himself in the first place) back to their owners. He lives in a garage and he has come to terms with the lack of excitement in his life. His colleague Alain has other worries: he is both broke and divorced. He cons his daughter into thinking that he is a successful businessman. One day Alain tries to curry favor with his daughter by offering to drive her band to their rehearsal room. But when a car accident happens and they find themselves owing Russians CHF 1500 to pay for their damaged Mercedes, Alain and Fredi need a way to come up with the money fast. They get the idea to kidnap a "healer cat", since her owner will undoubtedly pay a lot to have her back, and begin to plan the abduction...

Directed by Markus Imboden, Katzendiebe leans on a strong ensemble — Beat Schlatter, Patrick Frey, Babett Arens — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about comedy titles of 1996.